In human skin, sebaceous glands, eccrine sweat glands and apocrine glands secrete various chemicals onto the skin surface. These chemicals include sodium chloride, potassium bicarbonate, lactic acid, urea, squalene, proteins, carbohydrates, triglycerides and other lipids. Although body odor may be partially due to certain chemicals secreted by sebaceous glands and eccrine sweat glands, major axillary foul odor is due to secretions of the apocrine glands, which contain special nutrient materials for microorganisms.
Apocrine glands are located primarily in the axillae, anogenital region, mammary areolae, ear canals, eyelids, and are scattered on parts of the face, anterior chest and abdomen. In general, the apocrine duct opens into the upper end of the hair follicle although it may occasionally open directly onto the skin surface. In contrast to the eccrine glands, which produce a clear watery liquid, the apocrine glands secrete a milky fluid that has a pH range of 5 to 6.5 and initially consists of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. Although fresh apocrine secretions do not have an objectionable odor, the secreted compounds are found to undergo decomposition by both chemical and microbial actions, and the degradation products are responsible for the offensive odors. Chemical substances identified as contributing to this unpleasant odor include lower organic acids such as butanoic, isopentanoic, hexanoic and octanoic acids; mercaptans; indoles; amines; hydrogen sulfide; ammonia; and phosphine. Although gram-positive bacteria, thriving on substances found on the moist skin surface, appear to be responsible for the production of malodor, the precise mechanisms of odor production are still unclear.
Most deodorant or antiperspirant products on the market today are salts of aluminum or zinc. The aluminum salts include aluminum chloride, aluminum chlorhydroxide, aluminum sulfate, aluminum potassium sulfate and aluminum phenolsulfonate. The zinc salts comprise zinc oxide, zinc peroxide, zinc stearate and zinc phenolsulfonate.
Although long-term use of aluminum or zinc salts as underarm deodorants presents no major problems in toxicity, those compounds do frequently cause irritation, burning, itching and other uncomfortable sensations to some people with sensitive skin. These people stop using underarm deodorants commonly available on the market today because of persistent itching or burning after use. Moreover, such irritation, burning and itching caused by underarm deodorants makes them even less suitable for application to other areas of the body which are even more sensitive than the underarm. Development of other efficacious anti-odorant substances which do not cause irritation or uncomfortable sensation when applied to the skin is therefore desirable.
Nail infections may be caused by gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes; gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa; dermatophytes such as Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes; yeasts such as Candida albicans or herpes simplex virus. In general, nail infections are difficult to treat by topical application, because most commercially available products are not formulated in bioavailable form to penetrate the hard nail plate.
Mucocutaneous integuments include for example oral mucosa, vaginal mucosa and anogenital areas. Although infections may be caused by bacteria, the most common forms are due to Candida yeasts and herpes virus. Vulvar-vaginal infections may be caused for example by Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Trichomonas vaginalis, Gardnerella vaginalis, Corynebacterium minutissimum or herpes simplex Type I or Type II virus. The yeast infections are usually treated with butaconazole, clotrimazole, terconazole or miconazole cream for 3 to 7 days. The bacterial infections may be treated with oral administration of metronidazole 500 mg or clindamycin 300 mg twice daily for 7 days. For herpes infections, oral administration of acyclovir 200 mg 5 times daily for 10 days or topical application of 5% acyclovir ointment may be prescribed with various degrees of effectiveness.
Folliculitis and perifolliculitis are inflammatory disorders within or around the hair follicle, often caused by pathogenic bacteria or other microorganisms. The microorganisms may include Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Propionibacterium acnes. In most cases, scalp, face, chest, back and lower legs are involved. Folliculitis and perifolliculitis may be superficial infections and appear as small pustules in or around hair follicles. However, deeper infections may include lesions of papules and nodules. Patients may feel slight burning, itching and pain in the infected areas. Folliculitis may be persistent and last for months and even years. Topical application of mupirocin, chlorhexidine or aluminum chloride appears to be helpful and effective in many instances.
In our U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,815, entitled "Alpha Hydroxyacids, Alpha Ketoacids and Their Use in Treating Skin Conditions", we described and claimed that certain alpha hydroxyacids and related compounds are therapeutically effective for topical treatment of skin disorders associated with disturbed keratinization or inflammation. Such skin disorders include dry skin, ichthyosis, palmar and plantar hyperkeratosis, dandruff, Darier's disease, lichen simplex chronicus, keratoses, acne, psoriasis, eczema, pruritus and possibly warts and herpes. The alpha hydroxyacids and related compounds disclosed in the patent include phenyl 2-acetoxyethanoic acid (also known as phenyl alpha acetoxyacetic acid or O-acetylmandelic acid) which is a derivative compound formed by acetylation of the hydroxy group of mandelic acid.
In our U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,391, entitled "Phenyl Alpha Acyloxyalkanoic Acids, Derivatives and Their Therapeutic Use", we disclosed and claimed compositions containing these compounds for topical application to promote growth and hardening of nails and hair, wound healing and thickening of mucous membranes, skin and its appendages. However, compositions containing phenyl or diphenyl 2-acetoxyethanoic acid or their aryl or diaryl analogs have not previously been disclosed to be effective and useful for topical application to alleviate skin infections and body foul odor caused by one or more microorganisms.